Eagle Loses Longtime Mate; Unlikely That Eggs Will Hatch

Male of eagle pair was first spotted on the ground a few days after the bomb cyclone.

In the Littleton area, a mating pair of eagles have been calling their nest home for five to eight years. Unfortunately, a couple of days after the major winter weather we had in mid-March, the male of the pair was seen grounded in the snow at the base of the tree while the female sat alone in the nest. The observer reported it to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officials who picked up the male to take him to Birds of Prey, which helps nurse injured and orphaned raptors back to health.

Courtesy of CPW.

Unfortunately, the eagle died upon arrival at the facility.

So far, there is no word if the weather had affected the bird or if something else caused his death. The CPW said that the eagle will be sent to the National Eagle Repository at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge for a necropsy.

The death leaves the female of the pair alone to incubate, hatch, and raise her two eggs. CPW has said it will not intervene, and it is thought highly unlikely that the eggs will hatch and survive, as the female will have to leave them exposed to find food, even though she is driven to protect her eggs. That opens the eggs or hatchlings to the elements, predation, and more. The best chance of survival would come if another unattached male that will help provide food for the female during the process, and that is also unlikely, according to the Raptor Education Foundation. However, it relates that the bald eagle population is doing very well in Colorado, so the loss of the two eggs won't be detrimental to the overall population.

The foundation says that while it is true that eagles mate for life, the female will likely pair up with another male by next season. Her size, her nest, and the lack of a male mate hanging around will attract the attention of other males.